October Community News

Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery

PC: https://www.operacity.jp/en/ag/about/index.php

“Rhythm in Monochrome,” a new exhibition focusing on Korean abstract painting, will begin in October at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. In recent years, South Korea’s abstract paintings have attracted global attention, and this exhibition will showcase gallery holdings from the Terada Collection alongside pieces from other institutions. Opened in 1999, the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery holds special exhibitions four times a year to introduce a variety of unique artists. The Gallery also holds a solo exhibition series called Project N, which focuses on emerging Japanese artists. Named after Tastuoki Nambata (1905–1997), one of the main painters in the gallery’s collection, the exhibition features works selected by a committee and aims to support the emergence of new culture in the city.

The Shine On! Kids 2017 Gala – A Jazz Soiree

Join the Tyler Foundation Shine On! Kids at Tokyo American Club for an evening of cool jazz and creativity to support children with cancer and other serious illnesses in Japan and their families. For the organizers, jazz is an art form without boundaries and without any kind of set rules that might inhibit the creativity of both the artist and jazz lovers. It is also probably the most inclusive form of music in the world. Any and all are welcome. With this in mind, Shine On! Kids has come to view “Jazz” as a perfect metaphor to describe their kids and Shine On!’s approach to them. That is, there are no limits to their creativity and their joy of life, and there should be no boundaries inhibiting them from enjoying it! Don your cocktail party duds and head on out for a great evening in support of a great cause.

“Tokyo Underground Mysteries” Returns

flickr/NaoyaFujii

The popular Real Escape Game “Tokyo Metro: The Underground Mysteries,” a game where players have to ride trains and explore Tokyo to solve puzzles, is back again this year in English! Thanks to a positive response to last year’s event and demand from the English-speaking community and tourists, SCRAP and Tokyo Metro will continue offering the English version alongside the Japanese. From October 1, 2017, to January 31, 2018, players can ride the Tokyo Metro while solving puzzles and exploring hidden corners of the city along the way. “The objective of us creating this game is because we want more players to know about the deeper parts of Tokyo by solving puzzles. We want people to step foot into places they normally do not go to, and realize the beauty of things they do not usually notice,” says SCRAP President Takao Kato.

Mori Building to Open Incubation Center for Business Innovation in Tokyo

Mori Building, an urban developer in Tokyo, opened Ignition Lab Mirai, a 700-square-meter business incubation center on the fortieth floor of Atago Green Hills Mori Tower. The Lab will facilitate collaboration among next-generation entrepreneurs and is expected to help nurture new business and innovation in Tokyo. The space will provide offices and furnished project rooms available for short-term rent, as well as co-working spaces and meeting rooms targeted at startups seeking temporary offices or space for collaboration. Periodic events will also take place to encourage communication and strengthen the Lab’s community. WiL, a venture business investor and business facilitator based in Silicon Valley, California, will co-manage Ignition Lab MIRAI. According to Mr. Gen Isayama, co-founder of WiL, “Innovation is a key driver for business growth around the world. Providing the infrastructure and atmosphere that startups need to collaborate and take risks with their ideas is crucial to the process.” Ignition Lab Mirai will serve as a prototype for the Innovation Center, a large-scale business incubation center that will be housed in the Toranomon Hills Business Tower when the building is completed in 2019.

Bike Tokyo 2017

PC; http://www.tour-de-nippon.jp/series/biketokyo2017/topics/426/

Join Samurai Sports for another great event at Bike Tokyo 2017. Ride through the Big Mikan’s famous landmarks all in one day during the perfect time of year. Stops (with plenty of time for photos!) will range from the modern to the ancient. They include the popular shopping and entertainment area of Odaiba, Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa, where Tokyo’s oldest temple, Senso-ji, can be found. A visit to the Ueno Zoo, Tokyo Dome, Yasukuni Shrine, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Tower and Ginza are also on the docket. Aid stations packed with famous Tokyo specialties are also available every 15 km. You won’t want to miss this unique experience to discover the streets and food of this great city! Registration closes on October 16.

350.org Japan

350.org Japan is the local branch of a global organization battling climate change. Started in the United States in 2008, the organization helps foster grassroots movements around the world. 350.org is named for the number of parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that the group aims for (current levels being a dangerous 400 parts per million). The group aims to keep carbon in the ground, pressure governments into limiting emissions and foster a new, equitable and low-carbon economy. Chapters exist in 188 countries, which offer training for effective organizing as well as materials for educating others about climate change and the concrete actions that can be taken.